


Try Harder

by KelseaGrumbles



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KelseaGrumbles/pseuds/KelseaGrumbles
Summary: This was a little ficlet request with the following prompts:42. “I’m pregnant”46. “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.”Prompts will be bolded
Relationships: Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 8





	Try Harder

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little ficlet request with the following prompts:
> 
> 42\. “I’m pregnant”  
> 46\. “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.”
> 
> Prompts will be bolded

**“What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.”**

“Bryce, we met like a year ago. That isn’t even possible,” Casey snapped back to her boyfriend as they laid in bed.

“Yeah, but I bet if we had known each other then, I would absolutely love you,” Bryce retorted, his hand tracing absentminded patterns on her bare shoulder.

Casey rolled her eyes before twisting in his arms to plant a kiss to his cheek. “You’re terrible, Lahela.”

“But you love it,” Bryce countered with a kiss to her lips.

~~~~~

**Three Months Later**

Casey sat on the edge of her bed, clutching her cell phone in one hand while her other cupped her face. She was staring blankly at her bedroom wall. Her mind ran rampant with memories from the past few months.

Memories of Edenbrook and making it on the Diagnostic team. Memories of her friends and roommates spending countless nights at Donahue’s. Memories of passionate nights and careless acts with one particular surgeon, Bryce Lahela. The same Bryce Lahela, who she hadn’t spoken to in over three weeks because neither of them could make time for one another. So instead of trying harder, they both gave up.

But now, Casey sat alone in her room, wishing she could turn back time so the two of them would have another opportunity. Another opportunity to be happy. Another opportunity to be _safe_.

Casey stared at her phone, unlocking it to open up her contacts list. His number was still marked as a favorite - of course, he was. Her finger hovered over the call button until she closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek.

He picked up after the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Casey greeted, her voice shaky in her throat.

There was a moment silence, and Casey thought that maybe he had hung up but then…

“What do you want, Casey?”

She exhaled. “I… I needed to tell you something.”

“Okay,” was all he responded.

For a moment, Casey wondered if she was doing the right thing. Was a phone call really the way to go about this? He probably didn’t want to see her anyways. Plus, she wasn’t sure if she could even look at him now.

“Bryce,” her voice caught, but she cleared her throat to continue, **“I’m pregnant.”**

Then there was more silence, which was followed by the unmistakable beeping of the phone call ending. Casey pulled her phone from her ear, and all that greeted her was her lock screen. He had hung up on her.

She sat on her bed, sheer disbelief washing over her until she threw her phone across the room and smothered her face into the pillows. Tears flowed freely down her face, the soft cotton on her bed soaking them up. She wasn’t sure how long she laid there - minutes, hours, days - who cared?

She curled into a ball, the threat of sleep slowly creeping into her body. Until she heard banging from outside, followed by the sound of the apartment door swinging open and footsteps barreling towards her room. Her bedroom door flew open, then immediately closed again. She heard him - felt him - as he stood over her bed.

“Casey,” Bryce rasped through his tears, “Casey, are you sure?”

Casey didn’t dare look at him. She kept her eyes squeezed tight as she nodded her head. She was surprised when she felt the bed dip down next to her. And she was even more amazed when she felt his arms - his familiar arms - wrap around her torso, his hands resting gently on her stomach.

“I’m sorry,” his voice was thick, “I’m so sorry for everything.”

Casey finally found the courage to speak, “I’m sorry, too, Bryce.”

“I want to try,” he promised as he squeezed her tight.

Through sniffles and sobs, Casey replied, “me too.”

Bryce nuzzled his face against her neck, whispering soft words of admiration and promises and _love_. Soon the two of them - three - fell asleep, and all was right in the world again.


End file.
